


What are the chances?

by nagi_schwarz



Series: Prompt Fills 2019 [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, IronStrange, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 18:53:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18745036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagi_schwarz/pseuds/nagi_schwarz
Summary: In which there were two chances to get it right, instead of just one.





	1. Come Away With Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SherlockianSyndromes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockianSyndromes/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the titles comment_fic prompt: "Marvel Cinematic Universe, any/any, Come Away With Me (Norah Jones)."

Tony Stark wasn’t an irrational man. Sometimes he was impetuous, sure, did things off the cuff, could easily have been impulsive. But he was never truly irrational. He was too much of a scientist for that. And as callous as he could seem, he had massive responsibility weighing on his shoulders: everyone at Stark Industries relied on him to make the best decisions for them.

But as he was headed back toward Stark Tower one night on a possibly ill-advised run, he stopped short at a man materializing in front of him in the middle of the sidewalk. Said man was wearing a truly ridiculous red cape, had salt-and-pepper hair and neatly-trimmed facial hair, was wearing a gaudy golden necklace.

For how ridiculous he looked, Tony should have laughed out loud at his appearance, but something in the man’s expression, desperate and heartbroken, silenced the laughter on Tony’s lips.

The man extended a hand. “Come away with me.”

Tony said, “Who are you?”

The man said, “The love of your life.”

And Tony believed him. Let himself be drawn into a kiss that was at first slow and tentative, the man’s hands on his shoulders shaking, then firmer and harder and hotter. Golden sparks flew all around them, and Tony felt his world invert.

The man’s arms around him were tight, steadying him, and then Tony’s feet were on solid ground.

They were in a penthouse apartment, one filled with expensive furnishings, a beautiful grand piano.

“This your place?” Tony asked.

The man nodded. “Yes.”

Tony scanned the room for any hint as to the man’s identity, but the man was crowding close again, kissing him. He let Tony divest him of the cape. Tony muttered  _ ridiculous _ as he pushed it off the man’s shoulders, and the man laughed softly, like it was a long-running joke between them.

“Says the man whose Iron Man suit is McDonalds colors.”

Tony went still.

The world didn’t know he was Iron Man. Not yet. He pulled back. “How do you know that?”

“You’ll see,” the man said, his expression grave.

Tony said, “You’re not from here, are you? Not from...now.”

“No,” the man said softly.

“What’s going to happen?”

“I’m going to tell you that you have a one-in-fourteen million chance to get something right. I’ll have lied. There’s a two-in-fourteen-million chance to get it right. But neither of us survives both. So I’ve made a choice - you get to survive. But I get one last kiss.”

Tony stared at him.  _ “What?” _

The man silenced him with a kiss.


	2. Even Though Our Love is Doomed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for the comment_fic prompt: "Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, Even Though Our Love is Doomed (Garbage)."

The battle was frenzied, terrifying. Monsters pouring from the sky. Reinforcements pouring in through glowing golden magical portals, but was it enough? Was it fast enough?

Was it going to work?

Tony thought of some of Stephen’s last words to him before he’d disappeared.

They had a one-in-fourteen million chance of making this work.

Tony thought of what Stephen had said to him at the outset of this battle.  _ If I tell you, it won’t work. _

Tony thought of what a different Stephen had said to him, years before this battle, before the Avengers had even been a thing.

_ I’m going to tell you that you have a one-in-fourteen million chance to get something right. I’ll have lied. There’s a two-in-fourteen-million chance to get it right. But neither of us survives both. So I’ve made a choice - you get to survive. _

Tony looked at Stephen across that battlefield, Stephen who was fending off a tidal wave with shaking hands and sure-strong magic.

Stephen met his gaze, held up one finger.

Tony nodded.

And made a choice of his own.

But first, he’d get one last kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from the BSB song Chances.


End file.
